FOR families who find themselves on a tight budget Kia may just have come up with the answer to their dreams.

The South Korean marque has introduced the brand new Venga to the UK market, a supermini-sized, multi-purpose vehicle which believes it should be pigeonholed into the larger hatchback segment.

And that's no surprise, for thanks to it clever packaging, the car offers massive amounts of interior space for up to five to be transported in supreme comfort.

It all starts with Kia's new small-car platform first used by the funky Soul hatchback.

However, Kia has stretched the wheelbase a little on the newcomer to help maximise its cabin space. Yet at just four meters long, it is still a tad shorter than the Soul thanks to its short overhangs.

The Venga is also the widest vehicle in its class and coupled with its high roofline, the end product offers an interior that's class-leading for front, rear and hip room.

Sliding, 60-40-split rear seats add to the car's versatility, while they also fold flat to increase load space to what is already the largest boot in the entire sector.

But space is not the only issue, for the Venga's overall looks are far removed from the typical boxy-styled lines usually associated with vehicles of this ilk.

Viewed from the front, the wide-stance Venga is blessed with Kia's new family grille while from the side, the bulging door panels, muscular wheel arches and large area of glass sloping up from over the front wing to the rear panel gives the car a somewhat sleek, sporty look.

Out on the road the Venga offers a smooth ride, while the suspension does a decent job of handling the humps and bumps of our badly-surfaced roads.

Grip is good, but the car's tall stance does mean it leans a bit through tighter bends.

As with most MPVs, the driver benefits from a high driving position to gain a great view of thinks happening up ahead, while the large glass panels in the split front windscreen pillars also add greatly to the driver's all-round vision.

Three trim levels - simply designated Venga 1, 2 and 3 - help make up the range, and for starters at least, the Venga comes with the choice of three EU5-compliant engines: a brand new 1.4-litre diesel; a similar-sized petrol, and a larger 1.6-litre petrol in trim 2 which is mated exclusively to a four-speed automatic gearbox .

Kia believes the top choice in the UK will be the 1.4-litre petrol in trim 2, competitively priced at £12,695. However, after driving both models, I would go for the oilburner which comes at a £1,300 premium.

Derived from the 1.6-litre unit found in the Soul, the torquey Slovakian-built engine pumps out 89bhp at 4000 revs, enough to give the Venga a top speed of 104mph and a 0-62mph sprint time of 14 seconds dead.

But more importantly, emissions are kept to a low 117g/km, giving the sprightly little Venga an annual road fund charge of just £35.

And to help cut costs to the bone, fuel consumption works out at nearly 63mpg on average thanks in part to the car's intelligent stop-go system which switches the engine off when the car comes to rest and automatically restarts it when the clutch pedal is depressed.

From a comfort and safety point of view, the Venga is well equipped for the job in hand. All models come with electric front windows, air conditioning, driver's seat height adjustment, tilt and slide steering wheel adjustment and tinted glass as standard.

Also included is a quality, six-speaker CD sound system, complete with MP3 compatibility with AUX and USB ports.

Six airbags, active front head restraints, anti-lock brakes with electronic brake distribution, electronic stability control and traction control are some of the features fitted and which Kia expects will help the car achieve a top five-star Euro NCAP safety rating.

Venga 2 trim adds 16-inch alloys, electric door mirrors, iPod cable and steering wheel-mounted audi controls, while range-topping Venga 3 adds climate control, fog lights, electric rear windows, powered panoramic glass roof and privacy glass on the rear windows and tailgate.

But perhaps what makes the Venga stand out over the competition is its unrivalled seven-year, 100,000-mile warranty which can be transferred should the car be sold within that time frame.